Close Enough To Touch
by Lyreza
Summary: The Monday After. When two socially opposite people make a connection, will it be strong enough to withstand the judging eyes of Shermer High? Or will the other person always be just out of reach? John/Claire. Intended as one-shot, but might be continued! Please read, review, and enjoy.


Close Enough to Touch

Rated: T (depictions of physical/emotional abuse, language, lemony goodness- rating may go up)

"I've been waiting for you, John." A sensual, feminine voice purred in his ear, brushing her crimson hair against his unshaven cheek. "I've been waiting so long for you to talk to me."

He could feel her smile against his shoulder. His hands skimmed along her subtle but oh so _delectable_ curves, resting on the creamy thighs that straddled his hips.

John knew he was dreaming. But reality be damned, he was going to enjoy this as long as possible.

"I want to touch you so bad, John Bender." She positively _moaned_ in his ear, moving her hand towards his junk. "I want to feel your huge cock all up and ready to make me feel _so_ good…"

"JOHNNY! JOHN FUCKING BENDER!"

Bender's eyes snapped open. _Ah, but nothing gold can stay._

"WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU, BOY?"

"In my room, daddy-o!" John called sarcastically through the door. Rolling out of bed, he pulled on a moth-eaten fleece over his thermal shirt and grabbed the cleanest pairs of boxers and jeans he could find.

"GET YOUR ASS IN THE LIVING ROOM, RIGHT NOW."

The seventeen year old groaned and stepped into his favorite motorcycle boots, slipping on his coat and carefully placing Claire's earring in his ear before opening the door.

"WHAT, DAD?"

"Don't you DARE take that tone with me, you ungrateful piece of shit." John Bender Sr.'s voice quieted, but John knew better than to let his guard up. "Your whore of a mother just fucking left without making me breakfast, so it falls on you to fix me something to eat."

"I'm already running late, can't you do it yourse-"

THWACK. Luckily John was alert enough to duck when his father threw a coffee mug at him. The ceramic hit the wall, chipping a little but miraculously not shattering.

"NOW, JOHNNY! Don't make me ask twice."

"Yes, Dad." John ducked his head and half-ran to the kitchen. He tossed some Wonder bread into the toaster and quickly stuck some old breakfast sausage in the microwave. _You lazy, horrible excuse for a human being_ John thought angrily as he glanced back at his father, leaned back in his La-Z-Boy like he was the Queen of fucking England_. Just you wait till I'm eighteen and don't have to deal with this bullshit. Princess Claire is probably eating a fresh, nutritious breakfast while her dad reads the paper and asks if she wants more juice._

Practically tossing the plate of food at his dad, John grabbed his bookbag and raced out the door before his father could say anything else. It was almost freezing outside, but the bitterly cold Illinois air barely registered as Bender's thoughts moved from his fucked-up joke of a home life towards a much more interesting subject.

_Claire… will she even look at me? I shouldn't even care. God, this is so fucking stupid, man, who fucking _cares_ what little miss Princess does today? Got some options on the side, don't need to deal with a stupid little Cherry today. But still… would be pretty rad having such a high-profile piece of grade A ass on my arm, show Dick and all the other faggots at school that I'm not nothing… Like I told the princess herself, it's not like she could ignore me. I have one of her precious earrings after all. _With a smirk on his face and an increased vigor in his stride, John Bender hurried to Shermer High with more enthusiasm than he'd ever had.

For a girl as popular as Claire Standish was, being nervous about going to school seemed incredibly stupid. Which she was totally, 100% aware of. But Claire still couldn't help but shiver when she thought about what her friends were going to say if she started associating with the, well, _freaks_. And because she actually _liked _being around them? Not going to fly.

"Claire, honey, are you cold? I can turn the heat up."

Her dad was actually paying attention instead of zoning out. Though he still neglected to notice that the skirt she wore today was almost indecently short. "I'm okay Daddy. We're almost there, anyways."

Within two minutes the BMW had pulled up to the front of the high school. Claire had never felt more apprehensive in her life as she stepped out of the car and into the building, clutching her purse to her chest.

Although she told herself she didn't look much different from usual, it was a total lie. Her mascara was thicker than usual, and her lips sported that special shade of berry pink she reserved for dates and school dances. She wore her brown leather jacket, an off-the-shoulder sweater, mid-thigh length skirt, tights, and heeled ankle boots. _Not so much the pristine princess today._

And Claire could just feel the stares as she moved down the hallway. Regret about her outfit choice coursed through her as she self-consciously pulled her skirt down. _Dammit, this was such a stupid idea_ she thought viciously as she made it to her locker. _Like clothes are gonna change anything. He probably wouldn't even notice._

"Claire-bear!" Two perfectly symmetrical, glimmering white smiles made their way to where Claire stood- Tricia Brown and Rachael Wilhelm, two richies and two of Claire's best friends. Tricia looked her friend up and down. "Looking so sexy today. What gives- new crush?"

"Uh, not particularly. Just sick of covering up my legs, winter was long enough."

Tricia's smile didn't fade. "I can tell when you're fibbing, tell me who it is!"

Claire shrugged and faked a grin. "Don't know what to tell you, Trish. Maybe with this outfit I'll find an early date for prom though!"

"I'm surprised you haven't been asked yet! With those long legs…" Tricia, who stood at a tiny 5'1, sighed enviously.

"Oh hush, you're gorgeous and you know it." Claire could almost feel her brain melting from the inane conversation, but she couldn't help herself. It was instinctual.

"Christ, will you look at Becky Travers' hair today? A little nip in the air is no excuse for frizz." Rachael Wilhelm scoffed, tossing her expertly styled dark brown hair arrogantly. The sophomore in question must have heard Rachael from across the hall because she immediately ran her fingers through her curly blonde locks and blushed furiously.

Trish laughed. "Seriously, don't people know how to take care of themselves? We're almost adults for Christ's sake."

Claire slammed her locker shut. "Okay well, I'm off to homeroom. Catch you later!"

"Bye, girl. See you in Chem!"

Claire quickly wheeled around and kept her head down as she trekked to Mrs. Goldstein's room, hating that her Saturday in detention had suddenly made her friends intolerable. But it wasn't like she could just _abandon_ everybody. _I still have a good time with them, it's not like I have to totally reject them all of a sudden. They're not, like, horrible people and maybe they'll start being nicer if I encourage it… _Claire shook her head and sighed, then quickly prayed to God that she wouldn't run into _him_. Not yet, anyways.

John Bender sauntered into Shermer High just in time for first period. "My apologies, Principal Cromwell," he sneered as he snuffed out a cigarette on a bronze bust of one of the past principals.

_Time to see my favorite Cherry. I wonder how she'd react if I sat next to her in History... _Bender snorted when he thought about the popular kids she sat next to in Mr. Lebowitz's class. _Anthony Ryan, Pierce Frazier, Miranda Steinway, all asshole jerks._

Although he would never admit it, John had definitely noticed Claire way before last Saturday. Dismissing her as an airhead- albeit a very attractive one- had been easy. Saturday changed everything. She had kept up with his banter, stood up to him when he pissed her off, and given him an earring to remember her by. And with only a couple brushes of her lips against his skin he knew he was royally screwed. Those kisses haunted him all weekend, and made him all the more anxious about their reunion during actual school hours.

"Dude!"

Bender whirled around to see a few of his friends- Chris Jankowski, Mikey Solis, and Vaughn Carter- heading towards him.

Chris clapped him on the back. "Hey there, Bender old pal, where ya been the past few days? Totally M.I.A."

Bender shrugged. "Trouble with my pops. The usual crap, you know."

They all nodded, Vaughn with the most sympathy. John and Vaughn's fathers were similar in every way except that Bender Sr. had a wife that he could take his anger out on too. Vaughn just had an older brother that had been smart enough to skip town after graduation and so he took all of the abuse.

Chris cleared his throat. "Well in that case feel free to bum a cig or two off me. We were probably just gonna post outside for a few hours and maybe stop by class fourth period for shop, sound good?"

Bender smirked and shook his head. "Thanks for the offer, kiddo, but I gotta split. Second period History is calling my name today."

All three of his friends looked at him with the exact same expression of disbelief and disgust. John wished he had a Kodak; Mikey especially seemed horrified. "But dude, History is, like, the worst class ever. Why start going now?"

John shrugged and smiled crookedly. "I dunno Mike, guess I'm turning over a new leaf. See you turds later." And with that he saluted them and began walking down the hall to Mr. Lebowitz's room.

Vaughn turned to Chris and Mikey. "Does he know it's only first period?"

With the strident shrill of a bell, second period was finally here. Claire gulped as she made her way through the sea of kids, deliberately walking slowly. _Oh God, please, please, let him have skipped today…_

But God was not on her side. Leaning against the doorframe, trademark sneer across his lips, stood John Bender in all his burnout glory. Claire froze for a moment as his deep brown eyes made contact with her wide, deer in the headlights stare.

"What's the matter, Princess?" His words were mocking, but his gaze was intense, moving across her face like a searchlight and then down her body. Claire felt totally exposed. "Aren't you gonna say hello?"

"Oh, um... hi, John," she mumbled breathlessly. _Stupid, stupid_.

"And hello to you, Cherry. Say, I'm digging the skirt. Or I should say lack of skirt. Big improvement from detention."

And just like that, Claire's nervousness evaporated into distain. "Oh shut up. You know I looked perfectly fine on Saturday."

"That you did… especially with my head between your thighs." Claire smacked his arm thoroughly.

"You _pig_!"

John laughed and held up his hands. "Easy! Easy there, Princess."

Claire looked up at him both frustrated and sort of hyped up by their conversation. Flirting with guys had never felt this, well, _charged_ before. She loved it.

"Say," John leaned down into her face. "I have a proposition for you, Cherry."

She rolled her eyes, but acquiesced. "Yes?"

"Would you like to join me in Carl's closet during lunch today? I feel like we could benefit from some more, um, private conversation."

"This wouldn't include you going all sexual deviant on me would it?"

"Only if you want me to." John smirked down at her, and Claire simultaneously wanted to slap the smile off his face and press her mouth against his.

"Well I'm not one to deny such a polite request. So I'll say yes, but I'm expecting only stimulating conversation from you, Bender."

John's grin turned wolfish. "Of course. I am nothing if not a perfect gentlemen." And with that he pushed his hand against the already propped open door and gestured inside. "After you, milady."

Claire rolled her eyes again but continued into the classroom, totally unaware of all the eyes watching the prom queen's friendly interaction with the criminal.

She gripped his long brown hair with both hands as she shoved him backwards against the broom closet wall, wrapping her thighs around his waist and forcing him to hold her up. Bender's mind could barely comprehend as their lips, teeth, tongues moved against each other in frenzy, as though they hadn't seen each other in years instead of a couple of hours.

And best of all, this was no early, morning wood-inducing fantasy. It was 100% real.

John smiled against her mouth as one of his hands moved under her shirt, splaying out against her stomach and ribs. Claire moaned as he caressed her pale skin, kissing her neck and reaching up to cup one of her bra-laden breasts. A shudder racked his body as he massaged that delicious softness, and then moved that hand back to her thigh. His fingers floated dangerously close to that place he had been thinking about since he first saw her freshman year. God, if he had known so much passion lived within that tight little body of hers, he would have gone after Princess Claire frickin' _years_ ago.

All of a sudden, a firm grip halted his hand from sliding further. "Wait," she gasped. "We need to cool it a bit."

Bender pretended not to hear her as he sucked on her neck, dipping his face lower and lower down her neckline.

"I said stop it, John!" _Smack! _She slapped him upside the head with enough force to cause him to look up in fury and drop her onto solid ground again. His expression became angry, hurt, sneering. "Where do you get off using violence with the commoners, _Queenie_?"

"When I say stop, I mean it." But then her glower softened and she bit her lip. "I'm sorry- I panicked. I've never done that before."

"What, hit a guy or rubbed your pussy all over his crotch? Cause I don't believe you either way."

"First I'm pristine, now I'm a whore? God, you're such an asshole."

"I'm the asshole? At least I'd never hit a girl, even though you seem intent on causing me damage every chance you get."

Claire shoved past John, intent on getting as far away from him as possible. Bender suddenly reached for her hand to spin her around. "No, wait Cherry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean- baby, wait-"

The redhead stopped sharply at that and regarded him with an ice queen glare. "You don't get to call me baby, Bender. Not today, not ever."

"Okay look, I'm_ sorry_, okay? I don't like to say that much so you'd better pay attention." He sighed and ran rough fingers through his hair. "You drive me crazy, you know that?"

Claire scoffed. "You'll never let me forget it."

"Christ Claire, I'm trying to apologize, can you shut your pie hole for once?" Claire glared at him indignantly, but became silent. Bender paused for a second, and suddenly seemed very nervous. "Look… I'm used to hooking up with girls in closets, but you're… something different. At first I thought you were just a pristine, goody-two-shoes richie, but you're showing me another side, much more similar to the girls I'm used to- the crass, loud-mouth girls who don't take anyone's shit. And it's hard for me to understand because I don't know what you want from me." John's eyes were now fixated on his scuffed boots, not daring to move upwards to her expectant face. "Because you're different from the girls I know, I want something different with you. I don't want to be a secret, behind the bleachers thing with you."

Claire sighed and placed a well-manicured hand on his cheek, forcing his brown eyes to meet her own. "John, I've never thought of this as just a hook-up thing. I wouldn't have given you one of my favorite earrings if I did. I just…I've never felt like this. I've never met a guy that I both love and hate to argue with. I've never wanted to pounce on a guy and tear his clothes off like I do with you." Bender's mouth went slack, and her grin widened. "I just need a little time to warm up to that part though. So you've got to be mindful of that, this is all new for me. The making out, the emotional stuff, all of it."

John nodded and wrapped his arms around her fiercely. "You're something else, you know that, Cherry?"

She laughed, tucking her head into his wide chest. "You wouldn't like me any other way."

The two teenagers stood like that for a while. Not speaking, not kissing, just absorbing each other for a brief moment.

It was Bender who broke the silence. "We should get going, the bell for 6th is going to ring."

"Of all the things I expected you to say, that was not it."

John rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, Claire, I'm not a walking stereotype."

The redhead grinned. "Oh but you pretty much are. Long hair, devil may care attitude, torn up denim, leather boots? You're a total cliché John Bender."

"Don't get me started on clichés, Princess. You wrote the book."

Claire gave him a playful shove, which easily broke Bender's façade of irritation into a smile. "Come on, let's go. I can't be in this closet anymore."

"Right-o." John opened the door and gestured for her to go first. Claire moved forward, grasping his gloved hand in hers as she walked into the hallway.

Bender hesitated a moment, giving her an unsure look. But the Prom Queen replied with a genuine, reassuring smile, and possibly the most unlikely couple in Shermer High history walked into the crowded hallway together, hand in hand.

S*S


End file.
